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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28481940">baby blues</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jellykit/pseuds/Jellykit'>Jellykit</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adora is a good mom, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Catra (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Catra is a good mom, Catra is still a cat because I said so, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Minor Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Postpartum Depression, Pregnancy, Probably going to edit chapters a lot because I'm never satisfied, and therapy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:34:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,717</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28481940</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jellykit/pseuds/Jellykit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Catra and Adora welcome their second child unexpectantly during a snow storm in the middle of February. Catra handles the adjustment period following the premature delivery particularly hard. Is this a case of baby blues that will resolve in a couple weeks, or something more serious and long-lasting?</p><p> (Hint, it's definitely the latter, and they're in for a ride.)</p><p>or,</p><p>A modern AU in which Catra and Adora struggle to find their new rhythm with a preemie baby and postpartum depression.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adora/Catra (She-Ra)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>105</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. take our time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi! Full disclosure, this fic is completely self-indulgent. Also, I haven't written creatively in at least ten years so this is a very rough attempt at getting back into the groove and I can't make any promises! Honestly, I'm just posting this to justify all the hours I've spent thinking, planning, and typing this up. ^^</p><p>I anticipate this to be about seven chapters long, but the more I write the more I find myself getting long-winded so I really can't guarantee. For my own sanity, I'm gonna try to stick to seven as much as possible though.</p><p>Also I am taking lots of creative liberties around pregnancy and associated complications and by no means am I suggesting the events in the fic are medically accurate. Please try not to read into it too much.</p><p>cw: wetting oneself, mentions of blood</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hands gripping the sides of the steering wheel and left foot tapping the floorboard impatiently, Catra lets out a gruff sigh. She glances at the analog clock on the dashboard. She’s got about twenty-five minutes before she needs to be at Finn’s preschool.</p>
<p>What would normally have been an easy ten minute drive to and from the store has quickly turned into a forty minute bumper-to-bumper nightmare on snow-dusted roads clogged densely for miles with traffic. It isn’t even rush hour – people just seem to lose their fucking minds whenever the forecast calls for anything other than clear skies and sunshine in Brightmoon City.</p>
<p>Catra had hoped she could beat the snow, she really did. Maybe she would have, too, if she didn’t feel like an over-soaked sponge that needs to be wrung out every 5 minutes.</p>
<p>She supposes 8 months of having one’s bladder sat upon as a throne would do that to anybody.</p>
<p>So a quick trip to the store ended up involving two visits to the bathroom. Then she spent ten minutes in loops around the aisles trying to remember what it was she came for. Finally, chucking the cart back in place, she had stormed – er, waddled, really – back to the car empty-handed.</p>
<p>Flurries were falling heavily by the time she peeled out of the parking lot. It didn’t take long for the winds to pick up and before she knew it, she was caught up in the storm.</p>
<p>“Light bulbs!” Catra cries, the fog in her brain abruptly lifting and reminding her, far too belatedly, what she was <em>supposed </em>to get at the store. She groans loudly and lets her forehead fall on the horn, long brown curls spilling over the wheel.</p>
<p>At the sound of another set of horns blaring behind her, Catra’s ears perk up. There’s some movement ahead of her, so she lifts her head and shifts her foot over to the gas, pressing lightly. She looks back to the clock. 18 minutes.</p>
<p>She sighs again, shifting to the brake for the umpteenth time since her cursed journey began. She moves one hand to hook around the back of her waist, pressing her fingers into her back and wincing. The dull ache there hasn’t left since it started up a few days ago, but sitting in one position for so long definitely makes it worse.</p>
<p>There’s no way she’s going to make it to pick up Finn. It’s probably better to just head home. Thankfully, the preschool is only a ten minute walk from said home, and she knows just the right blondie who could probably use a distraction from working in her home office right about now.</p>
<p>Catra pushes the bluetooth button on the dashboard and turns a knob until it lands on outbound call. Then she presses the first name that pops up, sitting back as the dial tone fills the speakers of the car.</p>
<p>After three rings, it gets picked up.</p>
<p>“Hey Adora.”</p>
<p>“Catra, hi.” There’s a yawn and Catra feels her lips tugging up in a fond smirk. She imagines her wife is currently wiping away drool as she rises from her makeshift pillow of paperwork. “What’s up?”</p>
<p>Catra flicks the turn signal on and makes a careful turn to the right, following the route of… several of the cars in front of her. She barely manages not to roll her eyes. Great. She’ll be stuck behind these slowpokes forever. “I need you to pick up Finn from school.”</p>
<p>She hears panicked shuffling and wonders how long her wife must have been napping.</p>
<p>A part of her feels a little guilty, knowing neither of them have been sleeping well through the night. On top of that, the former athlete has been rising earlier in the mornings, disappearing for her morning jogs well before the sun. It’s no wonder her body urges her to catch up with a power nap by midday. “Crap, okay, I’ll- what time is it?”</p>
<p>“It’s almost 2:45. I was planning on going there after the store, but I got caught up in traffic.” Catra winces and moves her hips as the pain in her back continues to throb. She really needs to get home soon to lie down, preferably with a hot pack.</p>
<p>There’s a pause as that piece of information sinks in and the drowsiness fades. “Wait, you’re <em>still </em>driving? Shit, babe. Didn’t you leave over an hour ago?” The concern is evident in her voice.</p>
<p>“Yeah, well, I got distracted—” she places a hand on her belly, rubbing affectionately, “—thanks to somebody doing jumping jacks on my bladder.” She huffs, smiling. “I wonder who they get<em> that</em> from?”</p>
<p>That earns a proud chuckle from her lover. It may have been a few years since Adora’s trained professionally for a career, but she’s still as much of a fitness buff as she’s always been. Of course any kit of hers would be a natural fighter. “Aww, poor mama. You must be tired.”</p>
<p>“You have <em>no</em> idea. As soon as I get home, my ass is on the couch, legs propped up, and <em>you’re</em> giving me a foot rub.”</p>
<p>Catra can practically hear her loving utterly-whipped-wife’s grin over the call. “Yes ma’am.”</p>
<p>Humming approvingly, Catra relaxes her hold on the steering wheel a bit. She hears Adora take a slow breath, knowing her lover is choosing her words carefully.</p>
<p>“Will you be okay driving home? You know you can ask me to run errands. You really should be taking it easy, I mean, especially—”</p>
<p>“Adora, I love you, but if you don’t start walking in, like, negative one minute, our kid’s teacher is going to call me and I’m 8 months too pregnant and bloated not to chew her head off.”</p>
<p>Even before Adora says anything, she knows she’s made her point. Castaspella is a really sweet teacher to Finn, but she’s pretty particular about her schedule, something that they have been historically, well… <em>loose</em> about keeping to, especially those weeks when Catra’s libido had returned <em>with fervor</em> after months of stomach cramps and morning sickness.</p>
<p> “R-right! Okay, I’m—leaving right now, just gotta grab my coat.”</p>
<p>Catra bites her lip as the uncomfortable pressure in her lower back makes itself more apparent. At some point in the last couple days, everything had just… shifted further down, awarding her with near constant soreness in her back and, though she’d admit this to nobody, a<em> slightly</em> overwhelming feeling that at any moment the baby would just announce their entry at the drop of a hat.</p>
<p>She swiftly supresses <em>that</em> idea. No, before she worries about this little moocher, she needs to make sure their bigger one is taken care of.</p>
<p>“Hey,” she adds, “Bring Finn’s mittens, too? It’s snowing and they’ll get cold.”</p>
<p>There’s rustling as Adora searches through drawers. “Got it! And, Catra?” She hums in reply. “Be careful.”</p>
<p>Catra smirks. “Always am.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-- -- -- -- --</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Adora locks up the front door and begins a brisk jog down the front steps and sidewalk, ponytail swinging behind her. The sky is a thick shower of snow fluffs raining down, prompting her to pop open an umbrella with one hand. In the other, she keeps a small knit hat, a pair of mittens, and a yellow umbrella with a dinosaur pattern close to her body.</p>
<p>She breathes in the cold air deeply, sighing puffs of white smoke. Already, she feels the tip of her nose is a bit frosty and she knows it must be turning an embarrassing shade of red. If Catra could see her now, she’d definitely tease her about it being bright enough to lead a sleigh ride.</p>
<p>That thought of her wife stirs up embers in Adora’s chest. She thinks back to just earlier in the morning when she had greeted her with a long, sweet kiss as soon as Adora returned from her morning jog. She had thought it was going to be one of <em>those </em>mornings and went to take a hold of her, but then she was shooed into the bathroom for a shower ( ‘<em>You reek, dork’ </em>) and her wife was slipping out of the room ( much more gracefully than should be allowed, given how far along she is ) to rouse their four-year-old from sleep.</p>
<p>Then Adora recalls their phone call and worry itches to the surface of her thoughts. She’s allowed to be concerned about her wife, right? Maybe she shouldn’t. Catra’s fully capable of taking care of herself, and she knows that, more than anybody.</p>
<p>But, to be fair, after the scare they had near the beginning of her second trimester, they’d agreed to play it safe and take fewer risks, at least until the baby gets here. And… well… driving in this weather just doesn’t seem like ‘taking fewer risks’ to Adora.</p>
<p>So, she… worries. She’s tried to make every doctor visit, picked up prenatal vitamins from the pharmacy, kept the house tidy – well, as tidy as possible with a four-year-old who loves dinosaur stickers, building blocks, and Legos – and taken Finn out to the park more often to let her wife sleep in peace.</p>
<p>She even bought a hybrid kitten doll, much to her wife’s amusement, to better acclimate the little kit for the pending change in the family dynamic. The first night she found them cuddling it in their sleep, she’d whimpered in vindicated delight.</p>
<p>Finn would make a great big sibling, of this she’s certain. They’re spunky, bright, considerate, and a natural leader. Already she’s been privy to more than one bonding moment between cat mom and firstborn kit, where the former lavished them with affection and preparations for the change while the latter sweetly announced their plans for the adventures they’d take their little sibling on.</p>
<p>Catra – well, she’s been nothing short of amazing. It seems being a mother just came naturally for her. She was intuitively tender and patient, and far better at being firm when the time called for it.</p>
<p>And despite her doubts, Adora’s proud. It wasn’t a <em>smooth</em> transition into motherhood, sure, but she’d dare say she’s nailing being Finn’s mom now. She has their routine down and she loves every minute of it. Their little family is perfect. Truly, spectacular!</p>
<p>So why can’t she shake the unease she feels when she thinks about adding a new kit to the mix?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It doesn’t take long for her to reach the rainbow-ringed fence leading up to Finn’s preschool. She sees cars topped with faint caps of snow pull into the carpool area, as well as small children bundled up in colourful coats and hats waving goodbye to their friends and teachers before bouncing away hand-in-hand with their loved ones.</p>
<p>She approaches an opening in the fence, picking up the pace as she scans for her kit.</p>
<p>“Adora, there you are!”</p>
<p>Adora looks over and spots an ebony-haired woman with a high bun and long hair loose on each side, standing with her hands on her hips. The triangle-eared child beside her leaps forward on all fours immediately, crashing into her open arms as she kneels down and lets the umbrella fall over behind her.</p>
<p>“Mommy!” Finn squeals with delight, burying their face in her winter coat, tail whipping in excitement.</p>
<p>She gives them a big squeeze, heart melting. “Hey buddy! How was school?”</p>
<p>Finn pokes their head out of her arms, bright blue eyes lit up. “Fun! Lumen showed me how to catch shnowfakes on my tongue! See?” They stick their little tongue out and jut it towards the sky.</p>
<p>Adora whistles encouragingly. “Real exciting stuff in pre-k, huh?”</p>
<p>“Yep,” Finn replies. He twitches his ears. “Mama?”</p>
<p>“She went to the store for a bit, but we’ll see her at home.” She releases her walking heartbeat from her grip and presents them with their mittens and hat. “Do me a favour and put these on? I promised Mama I’d keep you warm.”</p>
<p>“Mkay.” The golden-haired kit obliges easily, stuffing fuzzy little hands into mittens with a little help from their mom. Then the hat, with small holes perfect for fluffy ears.</p>
<p>“Speaking of, I was <em>just</em> about to call your wife. In fact, I thought she was picking Finn up today,” muses Castaspella with a quirk of her brow.</p>
<p>Adora thanks her lucky stars that she arrived before then. “Sorry for the mix up, Ms. Mystacor. Catra got tied up.”</p>
<p>“Please, haven’t I said before? Call me Casta.” She folds her arms, pulling her long black and purple coat closer around her. Then she proceeds with her usual unsolicited counsel. “Well I can’t say this isn’t for the best. The poor dear needs to relax and look out for herself more. Why, when my sister-in-law was, was—how far along did you say she was?”</p>
<p>Adora offers a weary smile. “Um… 36 weeks?”</p>
<p>“Thirty-six! My, time flies! You must be very excited to meet the baby, aren’t you, Finn?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Ms. Mystacor,” Finn responds, distracted with zipping themselves up in their mom’s coat. Adora wraps her arms around them and tickles their legs, eliciting peals of giggles.</p>
<p>“Very good.” Casta nods. “Where was I? Ah, yes, my sister-in-law, bless her heart, worked right up until she had Glimmer. I told my brother it simply wasn’t good for the baby, but does anyone listen to me? Of course, he <em>always</em> sides with her. I remember when—”</p>
<p>“Finn!” A small brown girl with purple hair pulled into puffs calls out, interrupting their long-winded teacher.</p>
<p>Finn’s ears perk up right away, a wide toothy grin spreading across their face. “Lumen!”</p>
<p>Quickly wiggling free of Adora’s coat, Finn bounces out onto the snowy pavement, running over until they’re holding hands with their best friend.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, two familiar figures approach beneath a large umbrella not too far behind and Adora rises to her feet, swatting loose hair from her eyes.</p>
<p>“Bow! Glimmer!”</p>
<p>“Adora!” Glimmer wraps her arms around her broad-shouldered best friend, who returns the hug with a strong squeeze. Bow immediately puts his arm around them both, still holding the umbrella, and they bunch up tightly before relaxing with warm laughter.</p>
<p>“No love for your dear old aunt, Glimmer?” interrupts Casta with an expectant look on her face.</p>
<p>Glimmer rolls her eyes before pulling away from the group hug and giving her grinning aunt one from the side. “Hi, Aunty.”</p>
<p>“Catra’s not with you?” Bow asks, looking over to the two children rolling up small bits of snow to make tiny snow people.</p>
<p>“Ah, nope.” Adora rubs the back of her neck. “No, she’s…”</p>
<p>“Probably napping on the couch at home?” offers Glimmer with a smirk.</p>
<p>Adora shakes her head. “She took the car to run an errand, actually.” She points a thumb behind her in the direction she came from. “So I was just about to walk Finn back home.”</p>
<p>“You’re <em>walking </em>through this?” Bow gestures around them, and she notices the winds have definitely gotten a little stronger. He waves his finger disapprovingly. “C’mon, Adora. We’ll give you both a ride.”</p>
<p>“That’s okay guys, it’s really not that bad—”</p>
<p>“Oh please, Mommy, can we go with Lumen?” Finn interjects, looking up at their mom with shimmering blue eyes that only their Mama has ever been able to resist.</p>
<p>She looks over to her friends who have already pulled out their car key and are pointing to an SUV parked at the front of the C-shaped road near the main doors of the preschool, yellow lights flashing.</p>
<p>“Okay,” she relents easily with a smile.</p>
<p>Adora picks up the discarded umbrellas from before and they all wave goodbye to Casta before piling into the car. Bow retrieves the extra car seat for sleepovers from the trunk and buckles the kids in. Glimmer gets into the driver’s seat while Adora sits with the kids and soon everyone is ready to roll.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-- -- -- -- --</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Catra manages to inch the car about two blocks away from home. So <em>close</em>, yet not close enough to be back indoors, cozy, <em>home</em>. She doesn’t even hold back her groan at how agonizingly long this is taking.</p>
<p>She’s tired, sore, bloated, and needs to tinkle <em>real bad</em>. Honestly, at this rate, she’s probably going to jump out and dive behind a bush somewhere. No one would really blame a pregnant woman, would they?</p>
<p>Just as she’s peering around through the flurries for an acceptable plant, the car in front of her takes a turn into a driveway, leaving the road completely unobstructed before her. She thinks a silent prayer in gratitude as she presses more firmly on the gas.</p>
<p>Catra barely notices the patch of ice looming in the distance, thanks to some idiot who thought it was a grand idea to leave their hose running in the middle of February. Just as she contemplates how she’s going to try avoiding the ice, the dull ache that’s been harassing her back turns into a full blown spasm across her abdomen and she yelps in surprise, losing her grip on the wheel and the gas pedal.</p>
<p>The tires hit ice head on and the whole car swerves as she desperately tries to correct the skid. She turns the wheel a little too quickly and sends the vehicle swinging the other way. She screams as she braces her belly and herself for impact. The car whips around and strikes a mailbox and a pile of snow, just as she pushes on the brake and everything careens to a stop.</p>
<p>The impact is milder than it could have been, not even activating the airbags ( something she’s not quite sure she’s thankful for yet ). She manages to right herself in her seat soon after.</p>
<p>Breathing shakily, Catra shifts the gear into park and leans back in her seat. She feels something wet between her legs, unable to check over her bump, but pretty sure she’s just lost control of her bladder. She groans. “Uuuugh.”</p>
<p>Then, a wave of pain ripples through her and she clutches her stomach and grits her teeth.</p>
<p>“What the… ow! Fuck!” She huffs through the pressure and heterochromatic eyes snap open as soon as it subsides.</p>
<p>That felt like—</p>
<p><em>No… no, no, no, no.</em> Catra blows out air shakily through her mouth and tries to inhale from her nostrils. <em>Don’t panic. <strong>Don’t </strong>panic.</em></p>
<p>She closes her eyes, pulling in air and releasing it unsteadily as her heart thumps wildly in her chest. Her body is practically buzzing from the adrenaline caused by the hydroplaning she just experienced.</p>
<p>Gingerly, Catra moves a shaky hand back over the gear shift. She wills herself to think only about getting home, and not the possibility that what she felt was…</p>
<p>She gulps and positions it into drive, placing her hands back onto the steering wheel.</p>
<p>She gives the gas a little push, but all she hears is the whir of tires spinning in place. First easing off, she attempts again. The tires spin without any traction, stuck.</p>
<p>With another groan, Catra settles the shift back into park and lifts her hands up and over her eyes. She digs her heels into them as hot tears leak out from the sides.</p>
<p><em>Dammit, now’s not the time to cry!</em> Her lips form a snarl. She tries hopelessly to think about anything other than the worst case scenario – that she is trapped in the snow, alone, and that her body is… she’s… the baby…</p>
<p>“No!” she shrieks, hands balled up into fists now over her eyes. If anything, these are just false… pains, brought on by her near-death scare. As soon as she gets home and lies down with a hot pack and some pillows, all will be right. She just needs to get home, somehow, to Finn and Adora…</p>
<p><em>Adora.</em> Catra furiously wipes at her eyes as she remembers her wife must be wondering why she hasn’t returned home yet. She breathes forcefully, blinking away any new tears as she turns the knob next to the car radio and makes a call.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-- -- -- -- --</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well that took waaaaaay longer than expected,” Bow quips as the crew finally pulls up into the driveway before Adora’s house.</p>
<p>“Didn’t expect the roads would get that bad so quickly,” Glimmer confirms as she settles the SUV into park with a sigh of relief at having reached their destination at last.</p>
<p>Adora offers a contrite smile. “Sorry you guys went out of your way for this.”</p>
<p>Glimmer waves her off. “Please, we’re the ones who offered!”</p>
<p>“Good thing, too, because it looks like things are just getting uglier out there.” Bow presents his phone, showing them a news article detailing the road conditions.</p>
<p>Adora nods her head in agreement, swallowing a lump in her throat. She forces any negative thoughts out for the meantime, even as she notes that Catra hasn’t returned yet. “Why don’t you come in? At least until the roads are clearer.” She nudges Finn, who rubs their eyes, a little sleepy from the ride. “Finn, you think you can take Lumen up to your room and show her your toys?”</p>
<p>“Really?” Finn’s ears perk up and their tail swishes. “Yes! Totally!”</p>
<p>“Totally,” Adora repeats with a chuckle. “If it’s alright with Lumen and her parents.”</p>
<p>“Well,” Glimmer clicks her tongue in feigned thought and looks back over at her daughter, who beams right back at her. “I suppose…”</p>
<p>Lumen and Finn both clutch their hands together and say in unison: “Please, Mommy!” “Pwease, Mrs. Moon!”</p>
<p>Bow’s eyes sparkle as he, too, overlaps his fingers and looks over at his wife with the most pleading look he can muster.</p>
<p>Glimmer rolls her eyes as Adora snickers, but her lips betray her as they curve upwards in a big smile. “All right, <em>fine</em>! Let’s get a move on then before we freeze our butts out here!”</p>
<p>“YAY!!” the kids and Mr. Moon cheer in unison. There’s a flurry of seatbelts unbuckling and doors flying open as everyone excitedly makes their way towards the front door.</p>
<p>Adora turns a key in the lock and pulls on the knob just as the two tykes rush in. “Hey, shoes!” she calls, hand finding her hip as she watches them immediately drop to the ground to yank them off and push them to the entrance. She’s about to walk in after them when she feels a buzz coming from her coat pocket. “You two head in, I’ll be right there,” she says and her two friends oblige, happy to get out of the chill.</p>
<p>She takes the phone out and picks up immediately when she sees the name. “Catra!” she gasps. “Where are you?”</p>
<p>“Adora, I—” There’s a pause and she hears a faintly choked on curse before, “I crashed the car. Can you… come find me?”</p>
<p>Adora clutches the phone with both hands as she sucks in a breath. All the negative thoughts she’d dismissed earlier come rushing back. She should have known. Of course, as soon as she saw the headlines about the crashes, she should have… She breathes out slowly. “Babe, where are you?” she asks again.</p>
<p>“I’m not sure. I think I crossed Thaymor Street so… not far; I think I’m on Fright Boulevard? There was ice and I lost control and—shit, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—” She pauses again, and Adora can hear a quiver in her voice that grips her right in the chest. “Babe, I need you… to come find me. Please?”</p>
<p>“Stay there. I’m on my way,” she promises.</p>
<p>When she turns around to face the door, Bow and Glimmer are looking at her with a shared worried expression. They must be able to see the terror in her own, because Glimmer takes her hand tightly while Bow touches her shoulder.</p>
<p>“That— it was Catra, she’s still, I— I have to go…” Adora stammers, one hand gripping her phone tightly while the other squeezes Glimmer’s hand back.</p>
<p>“We’ll look after the kids.” Bow gives a reassuring nod.</p>
<p>“Do you need me to come with you?” Glimmer offers.</p>
<p>Adora shakes her head. “No, that’s—thanks, but I don’t think she’s that far. I’ll— We’ll be back soon.” She takes her hand back, holds it over her chest for a moment, then whips around and starts running down the street.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-- -- -- -- --</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Catra has unbuckled her belt and sits with her head back, one hand holding her bump while the other drapes over her eyes. She bites her lip as she prepares to ride another spasm of pain.</p>
<p>She groans low and throaty, pulling her fingers into a fist and throwing it to the window as she bites down on a scream, the pressure and pain building up and lasting for a while before ebbing away. She exhales, furrowing her brows together. Her tail curls up around her belly as she rubs it with one hand.</p>
<p>She doesn’t want to, but her mind searches anyway, making comparisons between what she’s feeling now and four years ago when… She shudders. She doesn’t want to admit that they’re the same. It’s too early. It’s just false labor – really, incredibly, eerily similar to the real deal, but— not. Not real.</p>
<p>Catra screws her eyes shut and focuses on breathing, slowly in, and slowly out. The best thing to do now is to remain calm. Adora will find her. She rubs her belly, willing her body to listen, for her baby to sit tight, inside where they belong, at least until she’s ready.</p>
<p>Which she’s not… ready, that is. She tightens her grip on the stretchy fabric of the maroon sweater she’s wearing. No, she’s not. She’s not ready to fail at the one thing she needs to do – keeping the baby safe until all their little fingers and toes and <em>major organs</em> are ready to function on their own.</p>
<p><em>Are their lungs even developed by now?</em> She’s almost certain she’s read otherwise. The idea causes panic to rise thickly up her throat.</p>
<p>She bangs her fist against the glass again and growls. This is supposed to be <em>easier</em> the second time around. She’s done this before, so why does she feel more unprepared than she’s ever been right now?</p>
<p>Just as she’s fighting back tears again, she hears something. A muffled mumble. Her ears swivel to find the source and recognizes it’s coming from outside the car. Slowly, it gets a little louder and louder, until it’s just barely coherent enough for her to catch:</p>
<p>“<em>Catra!</em>”</p>
<p>She perks up. She knows that sound, loves it more than anything. She knows it belongs to—</p>
<p>“Adora!”</p>
<p>“Catra!” She sees a blurry figure through the blizzard. She pushes herself to sit upright and reaches behind the wheel, flashing her headlights so she can be more visible.</p>
<p>There’s loud crunching outside and then a clunk as the handle to the car door is pulled, and there, splotchy and pink-faced, blonde hair whipping in the wind, piercing blue eyes staring at her with unshed tears, is…</p>
<p>“Adora,” Catra gasps, finally allowing the tears to fall as she lets her head fall back in the seat and offers the most apologetic smile she can. Then she grimaces, clutching at her stomach again and moaning. “Fuck!” she sputters between teeth gnashing.</p>
<p>“Catra, what’s wrong?” Adora’s eyes are wide as she reaches out to cup her wife’s face while also trying to shield her from the flurries threatening, and honestly succeeding, to sweep into the car.</p>
<p>The cat girl just shakes her head, chin down, biting her trembling lip. She doesn’t trust herself to speak <em>it</em> into existence.</p>
<p>“Can you walk?” Adora tries.</p>
<p>Another soft shake.</p>
<p>Adora presses her lips into a thin line as she steadies herself. “I’m going to carry you home, okay?”</p>
<p>At that, Catra looks up. She nods. “Adora…”</p>
<p>The blonde slips an arm behind Catra’s shoulders and the other one below her knees. She raises a concerned eyebrow at the feeling of something cold and damp.</p>
<p> Catra shivers as she hooks one arm around Adora’s neck. “Sorry…” she manages to say.</p>
<p>“Shh, it’s okay. Just… hold onto me.” With a soft grunt, she lifts her wife up bridal style. She steps back, and as she does, peers down at the driver’s seat and sees a couple of red spots. Her eyes grow wide just as the woman in her arms tightens her grip.</p>
<p>Catra buries her face against Adora’s neck, hair shaking in the wind and already getting frosty.</p>
<p>Adora shuts the door with her foot and begins the trek back to their home.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. under pressure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I somehow managed to push through and write another chapter before my break ends! Yay!</p><p>Tomorrow I go back to work teaching small children over the internet, and hopefully in person soon when the COVID cases are better controlled (I live in Korea and we were doing pretty well until end of November :/ ). I love my job, but it is pretty tiring so I'll mostly power through writing on weekends. I hope to get a chapter out every week, though, so fingers crossed!</p><p>This is supposed to be a *postpartum* story and they haven't even had the baby yet, lol. But, soon, I promise, the real angst will begin.</p><p>Thank you so much for reading so far and enjoy!</p><p>cw: vomiting, mentions of blood</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first thing Catra recognizes is that she’s shivering. Tremors shake her body as she crosses her arms and digs her nails into her sleeves to draw warmth out. Then a coat is thrown over her shoulders. She grips the edges around her in a daze. It takes a while of sitting there, teeth chattering, before she has the presence of mind to notice the people shuffling and talking around her.</p><p>“How long was she out there?”</p><p>“I left a message with the doctor so they should be calling back.”</p><p>“Okay, but I still think we should really call for an ambulance.”</p><p>She hears them and doesn’t respond at first, just looks around her. It dawns on her that she’s home, sitting on the couch of her living room.</p><p>Three figures stand between the hallway and the couch she’s on. They seem to be discussing, no, <em>arguing</em> from the looks of it.</p><p>The tall, curly-topped one — Bow, she realizes. <em>When did he get her</em>e<em>?</em> — holds a phone up to his ear and turns slightly away from the others. Meanwhile, the woman with short, brightly coloured hair near him attempts ( loudly ) to convince the blonde to warm up herself. Catra’s gaze lingers as the woman pulls out her hair tie, raking fingers through damp straw-blonde hair in a familiar nervous fashion.</p><p>“… Adora?”</p><p>Her wife whips around to face her. Catra feels a flutter of warmth stir in her chest. Then Adora rushes to her side, kneeling beside her and gently touching her cheek. She hisses at the contact of frigid fingers.</p><p>“Too cold,” she says, peering up through wet eyelashes.</p><p>Adora smiles sheepishly and retracts her hand. It hovers uncertainly before she brings it to her lap. “Sorry. The walk back took longer than expected.”</p><p>Catra nods slowly. Right. They’d been walking through the snow storm. Er, well, Adora had walked while carrying her tightly to her chest. She feels a blush rise to her cheeks as she recalls the feel of her wife’s vicelike grip, protective and strong around her.</p><p>She doesn’t know how long they were outside, only that it was plenty long enough for a chill to lodge deep in her bones. She pulls the coat closer around her narrow shoulders.</p><p>Then she brings her fingers to her lips. Her eyebrows knit together as she focuses intently on the feeling of something rising from her gut. Adora watches her, concerned, then— Uh oh.  “I… think I’m gonna be sick.”</p><p>That gets Glimmer’s attention lightning fast. Out of seemingly nowhere, she practically hurls the nearest trash bin at the two of them. Adora catches it and turns to face her lover right as she retches into it.</p><p>“Ugh.” Glimmer wrinkles her nose and takes a step back into the hallway. “On that note, I’m going to… find some towels. Be right back!” She makes a beeline up the stairs before anyone can say anything.</p><p>Catra takes the bin from Adora, who uses the opportunity to rub her back soothingly as she empties the rest of her stomach into the receptacle.</p><p>Once she’s finished, Catra sets it down and cradles her stomach. She feels the spasm build and work its way in her abdomen and back, letting out a whimper before biting down on her lip, shoulders shaking with the effort to contain herself.</p><p>Adora studies her carefully. Of course she recognizes those tell-tale signs. After all, they’re so similar to the last time. There’s the way her tail becomes fuzzy and lashes behind her, and then how the lines in her neck become more pronounced as her body tenses around the contraction.</p><p>What she doesn’t understand is how long this has been going on. When did things get this intense? Had she been showing signs that she was in labour, looking uncomfortable or in pain, this morning? And wouldn’t Adora have noticed these things sooner if she had?</p><p>Adora watches as the woman she loves exhales a shuddering breath and rubs her belly. She reaches out and places her hand over the other’s, earning a fluttery twitch of ears in return.</p><p>Slowly, Adora licks her lips and asks, tone warm and non-judging, “When did they start?”</p><p>Catra’s ears press firmly against her head and her tail sways low. She averts her gaze. Then she slips her hand out from underneath Adora’s and places it firmly on the couch. Her back protests each movement, but she’s determined to do anything except acknowledge <em>that</em> question. “I should… probably get changed.”</p><p><em>She’s avoiding the question. </em>Adora furrows her eyebrows. It annoys her when her wife does this, doesn’t communicate with her. She had thought they’d be passed this after nearly 9 years together. “Catra…”</p><p>“Look, we can talk after I get some dry clothes on. Just… help me stand up, okay?”</p><p>With a sigh that speaks <em>You’re not getting out of this conversation but of course I’ll help you</em>, Adora places firm hands under her partner’s arm and on her back and gently pulls her up to her feet.</p><p>The change in positions makes her feel a little woozy and a bit sick again, but Catra wills the urge down and takes a wobbly step forward while clutching firmly to her wife’s hand.</p><p>They make it around to the side of the couch before something buzzes in Adora’s back pocket. Keeping one hand steady on Catra, she fishes the phone out. Her eyes go wide as she looks at the number and then at her wife. “It’s the hospital!”</p><p>Catra nods slowly, sucking in her dry lower lip. “Want me to answer it?”</p><p>“No, I will, just—” She carefully assists the other woman with taking a seat on the armrest of the couch. “Stay here for a minute. I’ll go and get you some clothes, too.”</p><p>The feline woman would argue with that, but she’s not sure she has the balance to walk to the hallway on her own just yet, let alone up the stairs and to the bedroom. So she grudgingly relaxes and allows herself to take a momentary break. “Okay. Go on, then.”</p><p>Adora slides her hand down Catra’s arm to hold her long fingers, gives them a reassuring squeeze, and walks towards the hallway to answer the call.</p><p>“Hello?” She answers, a little more hoarsely than intended. She clears her throat. “Yes! Um, I left a message—” She runs her fingers through her hair and walks over to the staircase as she listens to the professional on the other end of the call. “That’s right, so is Dr. — Okay, well when is she—?”</p><p>Adora slides her hand down the side of her face. “No, I can’t wait until tomorrow, it’s an emergency! My wife, she… I think her labour started and—” She hurriedly explains the situation again ( what was the point of leaving a message in the first place? ) and gives answers for what the nurse asks. Finally, she lets out a small frustrated noise. “Okay, I can do that. In the meantime, can you please let Dr. Spin— Yes, okay. Alright. Thank you.”</p><p>She covers her hands over her face, sliding down until she’s sitting on the last step, and groans. She doesn’t notice the footsteps approaching her and startles when someone gently touches her shoulder.</p><p>“Hey,” Bow says softly. “Was that the doctor?”</p><p>Adora shakes her head. “A nurse from the hospital. The doctor’s out right now, but they said they’ll contact her.” She balls her hands into fists and quickly stands up. “But I can’t just wait here. We have to go. She needs the hospital.” Then she remembers they had to abandon their car in the snow, blocks away. “Shit. We—Can I use your car?”</p><p>Bow looks at her like she’s sprouted another head. “You really think you should take your wife, who you just pulled out of a car accident, into <em>another </em>car and try to drive through a <em>blizzard</em>?”</p><p>He watches as the scenario plays out quite visibly on her face. Car meets ice, spins out of control, crashes—</p><p>She pales and he’s quick to place his hands on her shoulders.</p><p>“Hey, wait. It’s okay. I called for an ambulance and they said they’re on their way. It’s just… there’ve been a ton of accidents and road closures, so… they aren’t sure how long it will take. But,” here he gives her a firm look, “she’ll definitely be safer here until they arrive. We just have to… make sure she’s comfortable, keep everyone calm, and everything will be okay. Okay?” He smiles at her slow nod. “How about I go fix the kids a snack while you stay with her? And Glimmer—”</p><p> “Found some towels!” Glimmer declares, descending the stairs with a triumphant grin and handing the rolled bath towels to her husband. “What’d I miss?”</p><p>As if that was the magic cue, the three hear a shrill cry from the living room.</p><p>The trio rush in to find Catra on the floor, shoulders hunched forward and coat discarded to the side. She had moved away from the couch but hadn’t gotten very far, apparently.</p><p>“Catra!” Adora rushes immediately to her side.</p><p>Her eyes are screwed shut in concentration. After some time she seems to relax and groans pitifully.</p><p>“Okay. So we’re not a fan of the couch,” Bow notes. “How about we find somewhere more comfortable? A bed, maybe?”</p><p>Before Catra can protest, Adora has an arm looped around her back and the other one holding her right arm.</p><p>Then Glimmer comes to her left, placing the other arm around her shoulders. The smaller woman offers a rare look of tenderness not often directed at the feline woman. Adora’s eyes shine with gratitude. Catra, too, seems to appreciate the help, a little warmth rising to her cheeks.</p><p>“How about the guest room? It’s close, and we wouldn’t have to take the stairs,” Adora offers gently with a tilt of her head in the other direction. Catra nods and they walk carefully through the hallway towards the small room.</p><p>Once they get her safely to the bed, Catra slips her arms out of their grasp and places her hands on the mattress. “I’ll stand.” She doesn’t need to face them to know they’re exchanging disapproving looks. “There’s just… too much pressure on my back when I sit down,” she explains.</p><p>Glimmer, understanding quite well from experience, just hands her a towel. “At least dry off first.”  Catra takes it gratefully, using it to pat down her long brown hair. Hands on hips, Glimmer gives her a look over. “And a change of clothes wouldn’t hurt. For <em>both </em>of you,” she adds, turning around.</p><p>“Oh, right!” She’d completely spaced on getting that done after the phone call. Adora turns towards the door. “I’ll be right back.” A tail brushes up her thigh in response. She glances back and is met with warm gold and cerulean blue eyes, soft at the edges.</p><p>“Don’t take long,” Catra says quietly, just loud enough for her to hear.</p><p>“I won’t,” Adora promises, reaching out to stroke her now only slightly damp curls. The action elicits a faint purr. Then she turns back around and leaves the room, making her way up the stairs.</p><p> </p><p>-- -- -- -- --</p><p> </p><p>After changing into a white sweater and grey sweatpants, Adora scrounges around for one of her hoodies. Catra would never admit it in front of their friends, but Adora knows her wife would rather wear something of hers right now. The thought makes her chest swell with love and pride.</p><p>So she picks up a solid white hoodie with deep yellow cuffs and hood. There’s a light blue design of a constellation pattern on the front. Then she throws a pair of boxers and another bra on top of the pile.</p><p>She collects them and moves around the room to put them in the duffel bag she had started preparing for the Big Day. Which, apparently, is soon. Soon as in… today…?</p><p>Her hands shake as she examines the bag, making sure she’s got all the essentials – extra clothes and socks for the both of them and the baby, assorted stuff for nursing, drinks with straws, pads, diapers, wipes, etc. – before zipping it closed, mostly reassured and satisfied that everything seems to be in order. Adora throws the bag over her shoulder and starts moving towards the door.</p><p>Then her shoulder collides with the doorframe as she finds herself dizzy all of a sudden. The tiredness from her lack of sleep must be catching up to her. She shakes her head.</p><p><em>Get it together. </em>She lets out an irritated sigh as she holds her head with her hand. <em>She needs you.</em></p><p>She forces her body straight, claps her cheek a couple times to shake herself out of her thoughts, and makes her way out of the bedroom and through the hallway.</p><p>As she gets to the stairs, she pauses to look over at a door that’s slightly ajar. Crayon drawings, a finger painting and cut up construction paper projects are stuck to the door under a large blue “F”. Her feet lead her there automatically before she even realizes what she’s doing.</p><p>From outside the room, she can hear Finn and Lumen’s excited voices as they play together in the little one’s room. Adora leans in so her ear is pressed against the wood. She hears the clink of blocks tumbling and twin fits of giggles.</p><p>“Let’s put the slide here in your room!” Lumen’s high-pitched voice hums. “And we can put snacks under for when we get hungry.”</p><p>“Noo! You can’t do that!” Adora bites down a chuckle. Finn sounds so much like Catra when they get upset.</p><p>There’s a soft huff as Lumen immediately sulks. <em>Yep, that’s Glimmer’s daughter for sure.</em> “Why not?”</p><p>“Because that’s the baby’s corner.” Adora leans forward a little, peeking through the crack and into the room. She takes care to be discreet as she looks at the two children cloaked in an assortment of Finn’s clothes, tied as scarves, hats, and belts around them in makeshift dress-up.</p><p>“Oh. You’re gonna share your room with the baby?” Lumen is spread out on her belly and brushing a lion doll’s mane. “Don’tcha like having your own room?”</p><p>“I do, but...” Finn leaps from their bed and lands easily on their feet among a ring of blocks. They’re holding up the hybrid kitten doll Adora had given them, grasping it carefully with fingers laced. “But the baby can’t sleep alone. Because then they’re gonna be lonely and scared. And my moms are gonna be real tired and grumpy if the baby stays with them all the time.” The blond-haired kit sits down in front of Lumen, who props her chin up on her hands. “That’s why ‘m gonna put the baby’s crib in that corner. That way, they don’t gotta be alone. Plus, I can play with them!”</p><p>Adora watches as Lumen tilts her head, kicking her feet back and forth. “But babies always <em>cry</em>! And poop <em>a lot</em>!”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s true. Mama said she’s gonna show me how to change a diaper, but I dunno.” Finn looks down at their kitten doll. For a moment, they look a little crushed, shoulders sagging. Then they look up, dimpling in their left cheek as they puff their chest out. “But I <em>am</em> good at making people laugh! So if the baby cries, I can make a funny face. Or funny noises with my face.”</p><p>“What kinda funny noises?”</p><p>“Like this!” Finn slips the doll under their armpit and proceeds to raise their arms. They press the heels of their palms over their lips and loudly blow a raspberry.</p><p>Adora has to cover her own mouth to muffle the sound of her snicker as the two children inside burst into delightful squeals and giggles. They roll around on the floor, blowing raspberries at each other until they’re too lost in laughter. Then Finn holds their kitten doll close to their chest, gives it a sweet kiss on its head, and the two friends lie down noggin-to-noggin, smiling and moving onto another conversation about cowboys and sea monsters.</p><p>The blonde moves away from the door. Already she feels a renewed strength warm her up to her core. She blows a kiss through the crack and can almost swear she sees a tiny ear twitch in response.</p><p>Maybe things aren’t going according to plan, but… things hadn’t gone the way they wanted when Finn was born either, and yet here they are, more perfect than either of the women could have ever imagined was possible.</p><p><em>We’ve beat the odds before, </em>she tells herself.</p><p>Smiling brightly to herself, she turns on her heel and makes her way down the stairs.</p><p> </p><p>-- -- -- -- --</p><p> </p><p>Catra turns her head as soon as she hears the familiar thump of Adora’s big feet bouncing off the bottom of the stairs and making their way through the hallway to the guest room.</p><p>The broad grin on her wife’s face as she opens the door and meets her gaze causes something electric to crackle in her chest. It seems it’s reciprocated, because Adora looks suddenly awestruck with her eyes wide. At what, she’s not quite sure. Catra knows she looks like a complete disaster. Her mussed hair is falling in front of her eyes and around her. She’s still embarrassingly damp and dishevelled as she stands with her hands on the bed and back arched.</p><p>Of course she has no idea that Adora looks at her and sees someone so ethereally beautiful and strong it actually makes her head spin.</p><p>Glimmer watches the two of them with a knowing twinkle in her eye. After a moment, she brings a fist to her mouth and clears her throat obnoxiously.</p><p>Adora jerks to attention. Awkwardly, she breaks the silence. “H-hey. I, uh… got your clothes.”</p><p>Catra shifts to reach both hands around to support her back. With a slight grimace, she turns around and stands as upright as she can. She offers a genuinely grateful smile. “Thanks.”</p><p>Glimmer can hardly stand to witness one more minute of this bashful lovers’ shuffle. “I’ll go help Bow in the kitchen while you change. I’ll be back after, but call me if you need anything?”</p><p>“Sure,” Catra responds. She looks over to the side, avoiding eye contact as she speaks up again. “And… thanks. For dealing with… all of this.”</p><p>Beaming, Glimmer crosses over to give Catra a careful squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. “That’s what friends are for, silly. Until help gets here, you and the baby have got us. Just relax.” She winks. “Let your body do what it needs to, okay <em>mama bear</em>?”</p><p>The feline woman gives a roll of her eyes, but she smiles at the use of words she once uttered in a different scenario ( not unlike this one ) used right back at her.</p><p>Then Glimmer walks over to Adora and takes her hand. She places her phone in it. Adora gives her a curious look. “I already have the timer set up. Make sure you’re keeping track of how far apart they get.” At her quiet nod, the short woman smiles and leaves the two wives to have some privacy.</p><p>Adora places the duffel bag on the desk and takes out the clothes she prepared for Catra. She leaves them neatly on top of the bag as she walks over to the bed. “Can I?” She holds up her hands.</p><p>Catra nods and raises her arms as Adora lifts the sweater carefully up and over her head. She throws it to the ground and tries to help undo her bra, but Catra turns around and has her hands on the bed again.</p><p>She grunts low as the contraction hits her like a wave. Already Adora has the timer set and puts it on the bed, placing her hands on Catra’s hips to support her. She remembers the other woman always has tremendous pressure from back labour and kneads strong thumbs into her lower back in an effort to help relieve some of it.</p><p>Catra breathes deeply in and out like practiced, slightly swaying her hips. Every muscle seems to tense up as she tries to manage the pain.</p><p>“You’ve got this babe.” She keeps kneading with her thumbs. She knows when the contraction has subsided because she sees and feels the moment her lover’s body relaxes under her hands, but she continues the light massage, using one hand to stop the timer and then setting another one until the next contraction.</p><p>Finally, a tail curls around her wrist and Catra slowly turns to face her. “So…” She releases a breath steadily and looks down at herself, then back up at her wife. “A change of pants would be nice.”</p><p>Adora takes the prompt to go and retrieve the clothes she had set out on the bag. She offers them up, a little sheepishly. “I, uh, figured you’d want to wear something of mine.”</p><p>“You know me so well.” Catra takes them in one hand and eases herself onto the bed. Once seated, she slips off her bra and opts to go without any for now, pulling the hoodie right over her head. With that part done, she wiggles her hips a little. “Can I get a little help with these?”</p><p>Adora smirks and places her hands back on her hips. She loops her thumbs under the hem of the stretchy material and pulls down.</p><p>With a little more effort than she’d care to admit, Catra lifts her hips and allows her wife to pull them off of her.</p><p>As she pulls them down her legs, Adora notices a red spot and freezes.</p><p>It’s… okay, it’s not <em>a lot</em>, just enough to get through the other side of the fabric. She tries to think about that, and how it’s <em>probably</em> normal, after all it had happened the last time, too. But it’s this and the fact that the pants are so damp, and there’s a slight trail down her leg which… well, surprises her.</p><p>Sensing something wrong, Catra uneasily holds her arms close to her body. “Adora?”</p><p>“Y-yes!” Adora bites her lip. She looks up and is met with wide mismatched eyes. “Sorry, it’s okay, just… You… Did you notice your water broke?”</p><p>Immediately flushing, Catra coughs and clears her throat. “I guess I… I felt some pressure and really had to go earlier… Maybe it was then?” Her ears are burning with embarrassment.</p><p>Adora just nods, pulling the pants off the rest of the way. She tries not to think about what this means, how quickly things will go from here, how much time they’ll have left before— She closes her eyes. <em>Oh gods, please just make it to the hospital!</em></p><p>She slides on the boxers and stands back up, willing herself to at least appear stronger than she feels. When Catra shyly holds out her hands, she takes them and helps the other to her feet.</p><p>“Oof,” Catra grumbles as she leans forward unsteadily, pain shooting up her back. “Does every position have to be so <em>uncomfortable</em>?”</p><p>Adora regards her sympathetically, rubbing her shoulders in soothing circles. Catra sighs and leans into the touch.</p><p>With her wife cradled in her arms, the taller woman finally takes a closer look at her. She sees the faint sheen of sweat on her forehead, notices the way she controls her breathing tensely. It’s clear she’s been holding back how painful everything is, trying to handle it on her own. Like she has to pretend she’s fine. Not once has she asked for help, or even acknowledged that she’s really, truly in labour.</p><p>“Why?” It just slips out, but Adora doesn’t make any moves to take it back, even as she feels the other woman go still under her touch. “Why are you trying so hard to hide how much you’re hurting?”</p><p>“Adora.” Her tone is warning, as is the agitated lash of her tail. “Don’t.” <em>Please don’t do this now</em>.</p><p>But oh, she’s doing this. Adora grips her shoulders and Catra leans away. “Come on, Catra. We’re a team, remember? We do this together. Maybe I’ve been a little freaked out, but you can depend on me, and I— I want to <em>be</em> here for you.”</p><p>Catra grows even more rigid and tries to move out of Adora’s grasp, but the grip around her isn’t intent on letting up. She sighs. “You <em>are</em>. Here. Right now. So, can we not do this?” She meets her gaze briefly, realizing her mistake right away. Adora is imploring her with a resolute stare, brows stitched together in a frown, and she’s clearly not backing down. Her mouth feels dry. “Adora, I don’t… I don’t want to talk about this right now.”</p><p>“Well I <em>do</em>!” Adora huffs. “Catra—”</p><p>The feline woman hisses at her and the other releases her grip, visibly hurt. Tail tucked down in shame, the woman removes herself the rest of the way out of her wife’s grasp. Then she leans on the wall, facing the door. Slowly, she wobbles to it while bracing herself on the wall.</p><p>“Catra…” She doesn’t acknowledge the call. “Catra, please, wait.”</p><p>“’M going to the bathroom,” is all she says over her shoulder as she moves along the wall. Of course, as soon as she takes her next step, her knees buckle beneath her and she grips her stomach. “Ahh!”</p><p>Adora swoops in right away, catching her and bringing her down slowly to her knees on the ground. Catra goes all the way down to an elbow, tucking her head towards her as she balls one hand into a fist on the ground and presses fingertips from her other hand into her belly. This time she can’t even contain her scream as she rides through the most painful contraction yet.</p><p>Adora rubs her back and pulls her hair over one shoulder. “You’ve got this,” she croons. She doesn’t have the timer near her, but she knows these are getting closer together. Her heart breaks as her wife seems on the verge of tears. “It’s okay. You’re doing so well, babe.”</p><p>That causes Catra to crumble. Before the contraction has even ended, her cry rolls into a growl and then a full-blown sob. She shudders as she bawls, unable to control the whirlwind of emotions possessing her. Then, remembering there are others in the house and in particular her child, the last person she wants to frighten with her wailing, she clamps a hand over her mouth.</p><p>Petrified might be a word to describe the way Adora freezes up. Guiltily, she kneels completely still like stone, unsure of what she should do. She hadn’t expected such a visceral reaction, that Catra would end up <em>sobbing</em> was not the plan. She wishes she could take it back. Go back to just be supportive, not sensitive and concerned and, ugh. Of all times to get insecure about something!</p><p>Somehow, Catra catches enough breath between sobs to blubber out, “I-I-” She bites her lip, tasting blood. “<em>I’m sorry!</em>”</p><p>“Wha…” Adora doesn’t know what to think, hardly has control of her tongue over what words to say. <em>Why are you sorry? I should be sorry! </em></p><p>“I’m t-trying,” she continues, snivelling, “to be in control, b-b-but the truth is… I-<em>I’m scared!</em>” Her breath catches on her sobs and she wipes at her eyes and under her nose, all for nought as fresh tears roll down her cheeks and her nose continues to leak. “A-and I’m ashamed and <em>angry</em> and— oh gods, I’ve f-fucked up!” She buries her head in her hands and tries to curl up as small as possible. “I fucked up and I don’t know how to fix it!”</p><p>“Wh-what are you saying, babe?” Adora discovers her voice and starts a light, gentle stroke down her back. “You’re not fucking anything up.”</p><p>“Yes I <em>am</em>!” Catra jerks her head up and glares at the wide- and blue-eyed woman beside her, but the only heat there seems to be directed at herself. “I didn’t listen to you! I sh-shouldn’t have taken the car in the first place. You told me to be c-careful, but I… I didn’t listen. I got us in this mess a-and now our kid has to suffer be-because of <em>my</em> mistakes!”</p><p>The onslaught of statements takes Adora completely by surprise. She struggles to understand. How could she possibly think this was her fault?</p><p>Just then the door cracks open a little. Adora glances up and locks eyes with Glimmer, who looks equal parts puzzled and concerned. She doesn’t know how to respond, just opens her mouth wordlessly and then stares back down at her very pregnant and weeping partner lying on the floor. She’s struck dumb, unprepared for the direction this has turned in.</p><p>The bright-haired woman walks into the room the rest of the way, shutting the door quietly behind her. She moves to place a cup on the desk and then returns to crouch beside the distraught woman still sobbing and wiping her eyes. She touches her face carefully, and when the other seems fine with the touch, uses her sleeves to wipe away some tears and cups the sides of her face.</p><p>“Hey, shh, it’s going to be okay. You’re okay. Let’s get you off the floor, hm?” Catra nods weakly and accepts the help to her feet.</p><p>Rather than the bed, Glimmer leads her to the desk chair and eases her in. She tries to offer the cup of water she had brought in, but she’s suddenly clung onto with such force that she releases the cup, afraid it’ll spill. Catra shudders as she continues crying. Glimmer strokes her gently. “Shh... It’s okay.” She shoots Adora a look that says <em>What happened?</em></p><p>But Adora doesn’t have a clue what happened. Only feels panic rising inside her as she gets up and rushes out the door.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yikes, Adora.</p><p>Also, I should point out that depression is a real disease and if you are feeling like this, please reach out, contact the hotline and crisis centre of your country or region, get the support you need to help you. You are loved and wanted and capable of feeling better and I want you to know you're not alone. ♡</p><p>This whole fic will deal with some hard emotions but please keep in mind the ending is a happy one! </p><p>Again, comments and kudos are much appreciated. Thank you!</p>
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